Institutional regional integration has become the main focus of Brazil's foreign policy during the administration of the Workers' Party 2003-2016. Why has Brazil decided to involve itself so deeply into the process of Latin American integration? The main objective of this single case study is twofold. First, applying the theory of neoclassical realism, this thesis aims to discuss all the driving forces (variables) behind Brazil's decision to make regional integration its top foreign policy priority since 2003. Second, it attempts to clarify that the São Paulo Forum, a continental network of the leftist political parties, should also be included into the set of driving forces behind the foreign policy choices in Brazil from 2003 to 2016. The following research question is put forward: What role does the São Paulo Forum play in Brazil's intensified involvement into regional integration during the period of the Workers` Party in power? Assessed through the congruence procedure and process tracing technique, the influence of the Forum is placed under the intervening variables of the neoclassical realist theory. The results of the study demonstrate that since the Workers' Party coming to power, its leader, Lula da Silva has used the directives, elaborated at the São Paulo Forum, to restructure,...

A dissertação estuda uma experiência internacionalista de partidos políticos de esquerda da América Latina e Caribe: o Foro de São Paulo. O período considerado para a pesquisa é de 1990 a 2015. O Foro de São Paulo é uma organização formada por partidos e movimentos políticos de esquerda latino-americanos e caribenhos, identificados com um posicionamento antineoliberal e anti-imperialista e em favor da integração econômica, social, política e cultural da América Latina e Caribe. É uma grande família da qual fazem parte diversas correntes político-ideológicas, ou famílias, da esquerda latino-americana. A pesquisa analisa o desenvolvimento histórico do Foro de São Paulo, seus principais debates e resoluções, as suas polêmicas e crises e como, apesar disso, a organização internacionalista potenciou suas convergências e consensos, elaborando e difundindo propostas latino-americanistas de integração continental. Discute-se ainda o processo pelo qual partidos do Foro de São Paulo passaram a liderar governos de esquerda e progressistas na região, que impulsionaram a integração latino-americana e caribenha. A pergunta fundamental da pesquisa é: por que e como, o Foro de São Paulo, mesmo com a sua diversidade político-ideológica, com os seus limites, crises e contradições, sobreviveu e é uma das principais organizações internacionalistas de partidos políticos de esquerda do mundo e a mais importante da América Latina e Caribe? As características distintivas do Foro de São Paulo, ao mesmo tempo em que o singularizam, também são as razões de sua resiliência e o sustentam como experiência internacionalista de partidos políticos. A pesquisa adotou o referencial teórico do materialismo histórico e o método dialético, particularmente o pensamento do marxista Antonio Gramsci, em especial, seus elementos para uma teoria do partido político e conceitos como Príncipe moderno e hegemonia. Através de uma metodologia histórica e comparativa, a pesquisa fez uma revisão crítica da literatura sobre o internacionalismo e as relações internacionais dos partidos de esquerda da América Latina, particularmente de Brasil e Cuba, e sobre o Foro de São Paulo. O esforço de pesquisa realizado envolveu ainda o estudo de fontes primárias e a pesquisa de campo. / This paper studies an Internationalist experience of left-wing political parties in Latin America and in the Caribbean: the São Paulo Forum. The period that has been taken into account for this research goes from 1990 to 2015. The São Paulo Forum is an organization constituted by Latin-American and Caribbean left-wing political parties and movements, which are anti-neoliberal and anti-imperialist, and who support the economic, social, political and cultural integration of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a big family to which various political-ideological currents, or families, of the Latin-American left belong. The research analyses the historic development of the São Paulo Forum, its main debates and resolutions, its controversies and crisis and how, after all, the Internationalist organization increased the potential of its convergences and consensus, elaborating and disseminating Latin-American proposals of continental integration. There is also a discussion about the process through which the parties of the São Paulo Forum started to lead left-wing and progressive governments in the region, which pushed the Latin-American and Caribbean integration forward. The main question of the research is why, and how, the São Paulo Forum, even with a wide political-ideological scope, within its limits, crisis and contradictions, survived and is one of the main Internationalist organizations of left-wing political parties in the world, and the most important one in Latin America and the Caribbean. The distinctive features of the São Paulo Forum make it a unique organization and are also the reasons for its resilience and maintain it as an Internationalist experience of political parties. The research adopted the theoretical references of historic materialism and the dialectical method, particularly the thought of the Marxist Antonio Gramsci, and especially its elements for a theory of the political party and concepts like the modern Prince and hegemony. Through a historic and comparative methodology, this research made a critical revision of the literature on Internationalism and International Relations of the left-wing Latin-American parties, particularly in Brazil and Cuba, and about the São Paulo Forum. The effort of the research also included studying primary sources and field research.